The invention relates to a drive device for a motor vehicle that comprises two drivable wheels on a wheel axle, said drive device having an electric machine that comprises at least one stator and at least one rotor, wherein the rotor can be operatively connected to at least one of the wheels, in other words to the drive of said one wheel.
The invention further relates to a motor vehicle that comprises a wheel axle having two drivable wheels, as well as a drive device for driving the wheels.
Drive devices for motor vehicles of the type mentioned in the introduction are known in the prior art. Usually, in the case of motor vehicles, two wheels of a wheel axle, in other words by way of example the wheels of the front wheel axle or the wheels of the rear wheel axle, are driven by means of a drive device. The term ‘wheel axle’ is to be understood in this respect, regardless of whether the wheels of the axle are steerable or operatively connected to one another in a mechanical manner, to be an imaginary axle of the motor vehicle and two wheels that are in operative contact with a roadway are arranged spaced apart from one another on said imaginary axle. It is known in order to drive the two wheels to connect a drive machine, by way of example an internal combustion engine or an electrical machine, by means of a differential gear to both wheels or rather to the drive shafts that are connected to the wheels. The differential gear renders it possible for the driven wheels to run at different rotational speeds as a result of which the driving stability of the vehicle increases, especially when negotiating bends.
In the case of drive devices that comprise multiple drive machines, different possibilities arise in order to replace the differential gear. A special form represents the so-called tandem drive, wherein a single drivable electric machine is provided for each wheel. The function of the differential gear is assumed by means of the control and/or regulation of the electrical machines. Since it is necessary to provide two electrical machines and also two corresponding control units/power output stages, a solution of this type is relatively expensive.